


The Birthdays

by Kimium



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: And the final scene is Post SDR2, Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday Parties, But there is one scene in UDG, Fluff, M/M, Minor Mention of Bullying, Mostly Pre Series, One Shot, Rated T for the very brief hint of Komaeda and Hinata being intimate, Snippets, Some minor spoilers to Nagito's back story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 06:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14467068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimium/pseuds/Kimium
Summary: Brief scenes of Nagito Komaeda's birthday parties over the years.





	The Birthdays

**Author's Note:**

> Oh wow another fic from me! (If you're a Fire Emblem Fates fan, go see the fic I just posted today, co-written with ObscureReference!)
> 
> Did I plan this story well in advance for Nagito's birthday? Nope! Oops! Between writing another fic and the co-written fic with Obscure, I sort of forgot about Nagito's birthday until yesterday night. I wrote this today and while it might be just a one shot, I have to warn you all I cried as I wrote my opening scenes. Ahaha...
> 
> Please feel free to leave kudos and comments! They always make my day! Also, if you wish to visit me on my tumblr, it's right [here](http://www.kimium.tumblr.com).

Nagito was six and it was his birthday.

Everyone in his class was there, as most kid’s birthday parties went. Games had been fun and the presents opened. The only thing left was cake. Nagito smiled and bounced in his seat as his father walked out of the kitchen, slowly carrying the cake, candles lit. His classmates clapped for him and his mother stood off the side, camera ready to take pictures. Nagito felt happiness well up inside of him and felt like the day had been perfect.

And then his father tripped over something.

The cake flew in the air, and the candles toppled into the ruined pastry. A few candles landed on the table and burnt into the cloth, creating smoking holes and ruined fabric. The classmates closest to the flames cried out and stumbled away from the table as the flames licked up the cloth. Soon all his classmates were scrambling away from the table, watching as the fire and smoke caused the smoke detectors to go off. His mother was rushing to the kitchen and his father was making sure everyone was safe before opening the windows. Soon his mother returned, throwing water over the table, putting out the flames, leaving nothing but smoke.

When the fire was put out, smoke still curling in the air, Nagito took one look at his cake, his ruined cake and his birthday party and felt a wave of sadness fill him. Everything had been going so well, so why did this happen?

Next year, on his seventh birthday no one wanted to come to his house to celebrate.

Nagito wept in his bedroom for hours.

The following year, when Nagito was eight he didn’t bother to ask anyone over to his birthday party.

And no one had bothered to ask. Nagito cried himself to sleep that year.

This time, Nagito didn’t cry. For he was wiser and older. He knew what this was. It was his luck cycle. Perhaps, this was merely for his benefit, so he could have another lucky event around the corner.

That optimism didn’t stop his cake from tasting like tears.

~

It was just the beginning of his junior high year and when some of his classmates, ones who hadn’t been in his elementary school asked about his birthday party, Nagito was surprised and a little flattered. After the disaster of his sixth birthday party he hadn’t bothered through his entire Elementary years to bother with a party.

Their questions filled him with hope.

Foolishly.

Nagito should have known better.

When his birthday party arrived, no one showed up, not a single classmate who asked about it. Nagito sat, in a decorated dining room, full of food and sweets his parents had made and just smiled to himself. He should have known better. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

Oh well. Just another tally in his unlucky cycle to counter his luck cycle.

So why, why was he crying?

~

Nagito didn’t bother the next year.

His cake tasted sweet and sad.

~

“You’re going to need a lot of treatments.” The doctors had told him.

“He will need to be in the hospital for an undetermined amount of time.” Said the nurses to his parents.

Nagito sat in a sterile room, watching the sun trickle through the windows. The sky was slowly being dyed orange and red hues, deep and dark. There were balloons and cards from his parents, as well as some presents, but now it was only him, alone.

Closing his eyes, Nagito hummed that English song, the one sang at birthdays, and hoped it would make him feel better.

It didn’t work, but at least he knew the words.

~

It was supposed to be a family vacation. It was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to get him away from the hospital.

It had ended in ruin, with smoke and rubble and death all around him. His parents were dead and the entire crew, everyone dead. Just him.

After he was saved Nagito was alone in the world, with no one to watch him. Just a pile of money and empty sympathy from distant relatives.

That year Nagito bought a slice of cake and ate it by his parent’s grave stones. No disaster had befallen him on the way over or at the store, but disaster had already taken so much from him, so really, he could only be on an upswing.

The cake tasted dry.

~

The next year he was accepted into Hopes Peak Academy despite missing a lot of his Junior high classes and needing to catch up. Nagito had accepted because for the first time his talent was recognized, his luck. Perhaps this time he could find something positive to apply his worthless talent to.

His classmates were all so vibrant and warm and talented. Nagito felt like a parasite feeding off a larger animal, so he kept his distance, trying to not get attached. It didn’t work. He felt so much admiration and inspiration for them. But they didn’t feel the same towards him. It hurt a little, but Nagito had learned to take the negative in his life and look for the positive.

So, when his birthday came around and no one but Yukizome and Nanami wished him a happy birthday, Nagito was surprised, but he took it with grace. It was nice of them to think of someone like him, but they were nice people.

It still didn’t stop Nagito from not holding a birthday party. He still bought himself a slice of cake and sat alone, after school, and ate it, looking out wistfully, imagining a party with all of his classmates together, with him. The image caused him such hope it hurt and he felt tears prickle his eyes.

Nagito finished his cake and left in silence.

~

The next year he was suspended from Hopes Peak during the practical final season.

Nagito didn’t have time to celebrate his birthday, but he didn’t care.

Or so he tried to tell himself.

~

The next year the world was destroyed, Servant’s mind over active and burning with the possibilities, the endless possibilities of hope and despair swirling in the world, each fighting to win. Servant laughed and skipped down the street, his left arm limp and useless at his side.

Time had lost all meaning, the only thing that mattered was the final clash of despair and hope. Servant laughed to himself and focused on his next destination. Surely this time he’d get that battle, where Ultimate Hope shone through, even if he had to manipulate a few people to get the result.

“To Towa City.” He hummed.

~

Nagito didn’t remember how he and his classmates got on the island, but time was skewed and he had no idea how much they’d lost. It was a bit of a shame because he probably missed some birthdays and was older than he thought, but who knew? Nagito shrugged and idly walked around the second island. Birthdays and parties were meaningless to him. They always had been.

Still, he usually used it as an excuse to eat cake.

Perhaps he’d pretend tomorrow was his birthday just so he could have an excuse.

~

He never found time for the excuse. Nagito lay in the warehouse, his body burning, tears clinging to his eyes. The final part of his plan was in action and soon… soon he’d die. Nagito wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t. This had to be done. He had to die. There was no place in this worthless world for him. The world had never been kind to him, gifting him with a curse. All that meant was Nagito had to use his curse to it’s full potential.

Still, it was a shame. Nagito never got to eat another slice of cake.

Correction: Would never be able to eat a slice of cake again.

The fire was getting thicker and the air thicker too. Nagito wasn’t sure if it was the smoke from the fire or the poison in the air, but regardless, his time was up.

He let go of the cord.

~

Recovery was painful, but Hinata had been there every step of the way. Nagito had often wondered if he could get Hinata to run away from him, but every attempt ended in failure. Hinata stuck through and showed him how to accept, how to heal, how to love himself.

And how to love someone else.

Nagito never would have expected Hinata to love him, but he would have never expected his mental state to be stable enough to contribute equally to a relationship. It was all new and terrifying and exciting and Nagito wanted to hold Hinata forever and ever. When he told Hinata this, Hinata had laughed warmly and told him he wouldn’t leave.

They then kissed and all was right in the world.

So, when Nagito woke up alone, he was stable enough to not assume Hinata had abandoned him. Hinata and Tsumiki headed a massive effort for helping the others recover and often Hinata was late back or didn’t return until the next morning. Nagito got out of bed and stretched, washing up and getting ready for breakfast.

As he walked down to the restaurant, he noted that it was a bit too quiet. Granted, everyone had their own schedules and it wasn’t that Nagito expected to see everyone right away, but usually he caught someone walking to or from the restaurant.

He shrugged and went up the side, forgoing the lobby and heading straight to the top. As soon as he was up, loud cracks filled the space, bits of paper and streamers landing on his hair and his clothes. Nagito blinked as everyone stood around a table, a sign over the wall behind it.

“Happy birthday Komaeda!” They all said with varying degrees of loudness.

Nagito blinked and looked around. Everyone was there. The entire restaurant was decorated and on the table was a massive cake, clearly the work of Hanamura. There was a correct number of candles as their files were probably shared with everyone via Naegi and his team.

Memories, long forgotten memories welled up inside of Nagito’s mind. His forgotten birthdays, his ruined birthdays, his birthdays spent alone and sad. They all rushed at him. Some of the memories were blocky and chunky, like most were, but that didn’t matter.

Nagito had never had a birthday where for the first time, everything could go right.

He was crying, Nagito noticed after a long moment, tears were running down his face as he sobbed into his hands, trying to muffle his tears in a futile manner. Words tried to escape his mouth, but he wasn’t able to properly speak.

“Wow, I can’t believe he just burst into tears.” Saionji huffed. “Is it our decorating? We worked hard you know!”

“I won’t take pictures until you’re ready.” Koizumi assured him, “But if we don’t get at least one with you and the cake now Akane will eat it all.”

“No, I won’t!” Owari shouted, pouting a bit.

“It seems our celebration was too much for Komaeda to handle.” Tanaka mused, “Perhaps our birthday wishes and energy are too strong for his current mortal form.”

Sonia nodded sagely, but Souda looked like he was about to have Words With His Lovers. Tsumiki looked overwhelmed between comforting him and running to get him a box of tissues. Kuzuryuu looked uncomfortable, but Nagito wasn’t sure if it was due to his crying or their fellow classmates. Hanamura was pouting, his arms folded as he held a spatula.

“You’re supposed to cry after you eat my cake.” He told him. “Not before.”

“I believe we should give Komaeda a moment.” Pekoyama gently said, tactful as always.

“N-No it’s fine.” Nagito tried to tell everyone.

“See?!” Nidai bellowed, “Nagito is just Overwhelmed by our Affection! It’s fine Nagito! Crying makes everyone feel better!”

“Ohhh I know!!!” Mioda waved her hands happily, “I’ll start singing a song! It will cheer Nagito up…”

She was cut off firmly by Byakuya, who lay their hand on her shoulders, “Perhaps… later.” They offered.

Mioda blinked before she nodded, “Right! We can’t sing with cake in our mouths!”

“Here.” Hinata’s voice was soft beside him, a warm hand on his shoulder, “I got you tissues.”

Nagito’s mouth twitched and he accepted the tissues, “Thank you…” He muttered, “It’s just… this is my first birthday party. One where everything is going well.” He added.

That sobered the room for all of two seconds, before Hanamura moved, to grab a lighter, “Well? You first need to make a birthday wish. Let me light the candles.”

A birthday wish, huh? Nagito waited with slight hiccups as Hanamura lit the candles expertly. Hinata gently moved him over to the table, close to the cake. The flames danced happily on the candle wicks and the cake glowed a soft orange colour. Nagito stared at the cake. Past Nagito wouldn’t have known what to wish for. He would have ended up wishing for someone else, rather than himself, but present Nagito knew what he wanted.

He closed his eyes and wished, from the bottom of his heart he’d always have his friends with him. That he’d always have this happiness. That he’d always have Hinata.

Taking a deep breath, Nagito blew out the candles in a single breath, all of them gone. Everyone clapped around him and Nagito felt, and not for the first time, a spark of hope inside of him. Except this hope was the refined hope, the hope not only Naegi had allowed him to understand, but a hope that his classmates had helped him achieve and possess.

Nagito smiled and backed away from the cake, feeling a smile spread over his face, hope burning deep in his heart.

~

It turned out everyone got him presents too, but Nagito didn’t get Hinata’s present until later that evening, when they were alone. It was sort of a two part present, with one being very stick and hot and wonderful as they tumbled around in Hinata’s cottage. When they were done, and Nagito was satisfied, Hinata gently got out of bed and rummaged in the night stand, pulling out a wrapped container.

“It isn’t much, but I picked it up while I was running errands for Naegi.”

Nagito opened it and saw that it was origami paper. He smiled and held it close to his chest. “Thank you, Hajime. I love it.”

“I’m glad.” Hinata smiled and pressed a kiss to Nagito’s lips, “Happy birthday Nagito.”

For the second time that day, Nagito felt hope burn deep in his chest, along with love and happiness. He curled closer to Hinata and hugged him tightly, resting his head on Hinata’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Hajime.”

**Author's Note:**

> Order of Pre Dangan Ronpa Scenes: I wasn't going to go through and see when some events exactly happened, so most of it are my personal head canons
> 
> Komaeda/Hinata: As always, I'm Weak.
> 
> Souda/Sonia/Tanaka: Again, I'm Weak.
> 
> Origami paper: I just picked it because I headcanon Nagito likes folding origami. If you wish to read more into it, I wrote a fic called Lucky Stars. Not that you need to read that to understand this fic.


End file.
